Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1887-11-18

chist."
A woman was the speaker-an intclli-
gent looking, well dressed woman, whose
age was not over 80 and whose manner
was ladylke. The statement was not
made with particular emphasis boastfully
but quietly and in the course of talk on
the spread of Socialism. After leaving
the fair follower of Herr Most, CHANGED
to meet, the same evening, an acquaint-
ance who had been on the police force in
Germany at II time when much trouble
was had with Anarchists and Socialists
Upon my telling him of my conversation
with the woman Anarchist mentioned, he
said:
"While | was in Germany | had IN eX-
pericnCc with Il woman Anarchist but one
who was of different class of life than
the ono you met today. The city in which
| was had become greatly excited through
fear of an Anarchist uprising, and | was
one of Il number of yen detailed as de-
tectiVCs to watch persons suspected of be-
ing Anarchists or in sympathy with them.
The names of several women were on the
suspected list. and my detail was to watch
one of them particularly. Her name was
Lena Diedricksen 1t was reported that
she was the leader of a small band of the
Anarchists, and had become as expert in
the use of the rifle at their secret meet
ings as many Of her male companions. /
remember well how she looked the first
day saw her. She was about % years
old, of medium height, and had a strong
and shapely figure, Her features were
regular, her complexion clear and her
face as a whole showed a good deal of
character She was pronounced blonde
with large and clear blue eyes. She lived
with her father, who was u middle aged
man spending most of his time writing
articles for the Socialistic papers Their
home was story and a half, tumbled
down house on the outskirts of the city.
81 had not been on the case many days
before | learned enough to convince me
that it was not love of the cause
alone that made this young woman such
n Jealous Anarchist. | discovered what
| believed to be the secret of her life. Be
cause of wrong she fancied one of the
police captains had done her, she had
joined the ranks of the Anarchists for re-
venge. Several years before she had mis-
interpreted II number of acts Of kindness
on the part of the officer, and being of an
imaginative nature had fallen desperately
in love with him. Consequently not long
afterward when he ceased to notice her
and married another girl, she became fu-
rious. No force of argument could per-
suade her that she had not been basely
deceived, and she brOOded over this one
idea until she had but one object in mind
That was the death of the officer. Natur-
ally her father and his Anarchist friends
encouraged her hatred of the police, and
it was not long before she had joined
heartily in their ideas and plans.
THAT the girl had become very active
among them, and had, in fact. become a
sort of leader, quickly discovered. One
day ! chanced upon information verifying
the report that She was the leader of
band of twelve men, and that they met
frequently in secret But where they met
| couldn't find out.
''It was on the night of widespread
and serious riot, when a number of po-
licemen and others were killed by an up
rising of the Anarchists, that | saw the
woman in full war paint. After volley
had been fired into the mob | saw her,
waving "A red flag and followed closely by
about dozen desperate looking men.
make the liveliest sort of an attack upon
the company of police headed by the cap
tain whom she SO bitterly hated. The ar
rival at the same moment of relief squad
was probably the only thing that saved
his life | shall never forget the sight Of
that frenzied woman, with an expression
on her face of intense hatred, leading that
band of men through the smoke and in
her followers were killed in the riot and
she and the rest of them disappeared so
quickly in the confusion and darkness that
none was caught.
".As was only to be expected, the threats
made the next day by the Anarchists were
loud and bitter. In going around among
ihCm made an important discovery One
who had become thoroughly frightened at
the result of the uprising on the night
previous told me that Red Lena'-this
was her name among them-and her band
were to meet that night and each take an
oath to kill mt the first opportunity the
man whose death the woman had decreed.
OF course the first thing did was to warn
the police captain, and the next was to
prepare to keep the closest possible watch
upon Red Lena and her gang of cut
throats, all of whom | knew pretty well
by sight by that time. But even then
hadn't the slightest clew as to their place
Of meeting. Then came the mystery.
'Ihad obtained my information late in
the afternoon. With trusty assistants
had gone at once to Red Lena's home and
had made full preparation to have her fol-
lowed in every movement. But there
was 10 sign of her, neither on that night,
the next day and night nor the day fol-
lowing. And what was stranger still
couldn't get upon a single trace of any of
her followers. That their disappearance
had aroused an unusual commotion among
the Anarchists was evident, but there was
just then such n bitter public feeling
against them and Red Lena and her gang
had become so notorious that the An
archsts did not dare show any open
anxiety or in fact make n single move.
1t looked to me either one Of two things
either they had suddenly concluded that
the place WAS too hot for them md Ind
fled to another part Of the country, or
else they were in hiding to keep out OF
the way until the bitter feeling against
them caused by the riot had subsidized.
81 got no trace of them for week
Then | found them, but they were dan
gerous no longer. a party who had been
for some time engaged in digging n deer
well on one of the hills in rough part
of the country, just outside of the city